
This retrospective exhibit is full of life and energy. 10 a.m.

Creative Flagstaff, formerly Flagstaff Arts Council, the City’s nonprofit art, science, and culture agency seeks applicants to serve as board members. Applicants will fill seats previously filled by long-time board members that have terms ending June 30, 2022.
Diversifying stakeholders, community groups, experience, and expertise represented by the Board of Directors is an important part of Creative Flagstaff’s strategic plan adopted in June 2021.
Over the coming couple of years, the Board anticipates recruiting members that provide leadership experience in nonprofit governance, philanthropy, arts, education, sciences, public policy, and programming from diverse lived experiences including BIPOC and creative professionals.

Arizona Gives Day is an annual giving movement uniting nonprofits, big and small, new and established, to celebrate and increase philanthropy in Arizona through online giving. The event helps raise awareness about the critical role Arizona nonprofits play in our communities and inspires people to give generously creating a thriving and stronger Arizona for all.Pledge an Arizona Gives Day gift now at
www.azgives.org/sedonaartscenter

The City of Flagstaff is accepting applications from qualified residents interested in serving on the City Council. An appointment will be made on or before May 5, 2022, to fill the Council seat vacancy created by the resignation of Becky Daggett. The appointment term will expire on December 20, 2022.
To be eligible for appointment to the City Council, a citizen must be registered to vote in the City of Flagstaff, a city resident for a minimum of one year, and cannot hold any other public office.

We hope that you’ll join us for Arizona Gives Day, a 24-hour, statewide celebration of charitable organizations that starts at noon today. It’s a special time that unites supporters of big and small nonprofits to increase philanthropy in Arizona through online giving.
Many thanks to those of you who have already donated to United Way of Northern Arizona as part of this year’s #AZGIves campaign. If you haven’t had a chance to give yet, you can do so by clicking HERE.

“Our April Celebrate Sedona is upon us and we are thrilled to have Secret Handshake performing for us this month! In addition, we will also be celebrating the people of Ukraine and will be taking donations to support humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people. Our Marketing Director, Kelli and one of our Gallery artists both have family in Ukraine and we felt this was a way we could pay tribute and stand with them as they support their families.” – Julie Richard, CEO

He loves to learn, especially about computers.
Coconino Community College student Cameron Jones started taking classes at CCC when he was in high school as a student enrolled in the Coconino Association for Vocations, Industry, and Technology program, better known as CAVIAT. CAVIAT helps high school students get college credit and hands-on knowledge about job skills required for certain careers, preparing their path after they graduate from high school.
“The CAVIAT program was a taste of the real thing,” Jones said, adding that he is now a part of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at CCC. Phi Theta Kappa is an international honor society that has more than 1200 different chapters, including CCC’s chapter, Beta Gamma Chi.

In 2020, federal fire agencies spent a whopping $2.2 billion—that’s billion with a “B”—fighting fires. That number has increased tenfold in the last few decades. For Southwest Wildfire Awareness Week, take a look at NAU’s diverse efforts to increase forest health, improve firefighting capabilities, help communities become more resilient and rebuild after a fire and better understand fire behavior.

Tuweep day-use civic engagement period ends April 6
Last week the park initiated civic engagement to solicit comments on implementation of a proposed day-use reservation system at Tuweep, including all park areas within Toroweap Valley and the Kanab Plateau. A $2 ticket fee per vehicle is proposed and would be available through recreation.gov.
On busy, high visitation days, especially during the weekends, up to 50+ vehicles often travel into Tuweep around the same time of day, causing road congestion, long waits to access the Toroweap overlook, overcrowding in popular locations, impacts to property, and excessive noise. As a result, the overall visitor experience has deteriorated, and sensitive natural and cultural resources have been damaged.

Emphasizing how local programs supported by United Way of Northern Arizona dovetail with their work as educators, the team at Flagstaff Unified School District doubled the number of participants and donations to this year’s workplace campaign.
Almost 60 school district employees raised $10,572 in the most recent workplace drive for UWNA, compared to $5,259 the prior year and well in excess of the stated goal of $6,600.
The two-week campaign was largely accomplished through emails and posters urging FUSD employees to “Step Up for Our Community,” said Kurt F. Steele, Executive Assistant to Superintendent Mike Penca.

Coconino County has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to community partners to gather information on services and projects needed as the Board of Supervisors allocates American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to address COVID-19 pandemic impacts.
Please note that this is a Request for Information, NOT a Request for Proposals. Click here to access and download the Request for Information (RFI).

Preparing to file your taxes is stressful for us all but it’s also when we’re most aware of our yearly giving. As a loyal follower of the Flagstaff Festival of Science you understand the value of bringing the excitement of STEAM and joy of discovery to Northern Arizona. Why not plan ahead to help both the 2022 Festival and your taxes? (If you’ve recently made a donation to the Festival’s Spring Campaign, THANK YOU!)

Advances in stroke treatment aren’t just coming from medicine—they’re coming from engineering too. Mechanical engineering student Josette Vigil is spending her career at NAU working on stroke research, including material testing of 3D printed polymers and tissues and algorithm development to define the volume and dimensions of an aneurysm. For stroke patients, this work could be life-changing—or even life-saving. Vigil, who works in associate professor Tim Becker’s Bioengineering Devices Lab, is sharing her work publicly this semester at NAU’s Undergraduate Symposium on April 22.

Creative Flagstaff is seeking volunteers to serve on the grantmaking panels for our upcoming General Operating Support grant program. This is an important and highly valued volunteer opportunity. Volunteers have the opportunity to learn more about the grantmaking process and to have a high impact of Flagstaff’s creative community. Volunteers can sign up for either short-term or long-term commitments.

With warmer weather and bright sunshine, it feels like we are experiencing the Spring season’s promise of renewal. I feel that too when I walk through the museum and see people enjoying the exhibitions. Looking ahead at the new exhibitions opening and the many in-person activities planned, it’s a time of rebirth within the museum as well.
April 2 will be a very exciting day. It’s the first day to see the newest exhibition, Baje Whitethorne Sr.: Náátsʼíilid/Rainbow Light, which celebrates an artist whose importance stretches far beyond the canvas, touching many lives. That Saturday is also Slow Art Day, when MNA joins with museums around the world in inviting people to slow down and look. Neuroscience has confirmed what ancient artists always knew: we see only a tiny fraction of what is around us. To widen the lens and allow more in, we must slow down.

“It’s been such a blessing being in this show! Being back in the theatre and going to rehearsals is like a breath of fresh air,”said actor Paige Latendresse who plays Annelle.
The heartfelt comedy has lots of laughs. It also has a very a touching ending that might have you in tears. At intermission, ushers have joked they should be walking through the aisles with boxes of tissues.
Steel Magnolias runs March 25 to April 17. Tickets are available online and at the box office.

See Youth Arts: Progress & Potential before is closes on April 2nd!
Gallery Hours: Wednesday – Saturday; 11 am – 5 pm
Coconino Center for the Arts’ 2022 Youth Art Exhibition celebrates the outstanding progress and unbounded potential of local youth artists in Flagstaff and the regional community. This year, the exhibition is open to and inclusive of all artwork submissions by youth artists (Pre-K to 12th grade, living in Coconino or Navajo counties) that reflect significant progress in the students’ artistic learning; risk-taking, trying new materials and techniques; and strong potential for continued artmaking.

At the heart of the United Way of Northern Arizona’s grant process is the Community Investment (CI) Fund, a volunteer-driven process that invests your donations into the proven programs, partnerships and initiatives that are changing lives in Coconino, Navajo and Apache counties every day.
There are currently 37 community volunteers participating in one of seven Community Investment Teams spread throughout northern Arizona.
This year, their review process is a little different.
Typically, UWNA disburses one-year grants to our partners, but in 2021, we chose to make two-year commitments to each of the the 42 programs supported through your donations, with an initial grant given last year and a “renewal” grant awarded this year.
That change gave our partners a little more stability and the opportunity to plan out beyond one year.

It is the end of one era – and the beginning of a new one.
Chris Bavasi, who was instrumental in the formation of the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona and served as the Chairman of its Executive Board since it began in 2010, stepped down from this post earlier this month. He will remain on the board, however, as a lifetime emeritus member.
Joshua Maher, Northern Arizona University’s Associate Vice President for Community Relations, has now stepped into the chairman’s role with Heidi Hansen, the City of Flagstaff’s Economic Vitality Director, serving as vice chair. Joe Barba, Director of Government Relations at Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona is our Secretary, while Steve Eiss, Vice President, Construction & Real Estate Development for Northern Arizona Healthcare is our Treasurer.

The City of Flagstaff will begin construction of drainage improvements in the Spruce Wash from Cedar Avenue to Dortha Avenue the week of March 21, 2022. The work includes improvements to the open drainage channel between Cedar and Dortha and reconstruction of the drainage inlet in Dortha to increase capacity. This project is part of the overall Spruce Wash improvements in response to the unprecedented Museum Fire flooding that the community experienced during the 2021 Monsoon season.

The Recreation Program catalog provides one easy place to view our upcoming programs such as Culinary Classes, Archery Clinics, Hikes, and the Outdoor Adventure Summer Camp. Program descriptions and clickable links direct to each program’s online registration page. Visit Coconino.az.gov/recprograms to view our digital catalog.
The Friends of Coconino County Parks (FCCP) have teamed up to offer Program Financial Assistance for certain CCPR recreation programs. Funds are limited and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, please contact Adam at asmath@coconino.az.gov.

In This Issue
Hello from Supervisor Horstman
Celebrating Women’s History Month
Congratulations Board Chair Horstman and Vice Chair Vasquez
Call for Public Input on Redistricting Maps
Grand Canyon National Park Visit
Museum Flood Mitigation Status Update
Coconino Community College Tax Reset
Pending State Short-Term Rental Legislation
Library Seeking Volunteers
March COVID-19 Update
Contact Us

This week we are taking a diversion from our regular communications on COVID-19 and park operations to highlight some of the amazing places (and people) here at Grand Canyon through photographs taken by NPS, GCC, and Xanterra staff over the last several months. From the North Rim, to the Colorado River, to the South Rim, take a moment and enjoy these awe-inspiring landscapes.

The City of Flagstaff is conducting a Community Bond Survey to gather feedback from Flagstaff residents on which potential bond packages are most important to them for the 2022 election. The survey will be available online from March 17 through March 31. If members of the public need help accessing the internet to complete the online survey, they can visit the Flagstaff City-Coconino County Public Library Downtown location (300 West Aspen Ave.) or East Flagstaff Community Library (3000 N 4th Street, Ste 5). Paper copies are available at City Hall and both libraries.

Springtime is about renewal a time for life to re-emerge and start the cycle of life all over again. It is the calm after the storm, the dawn of light after prolonged darkness. It is a time to fortify ourselves, and prepare for the challenges of the upcoming year. We have lots of work to do moving forward. We must be prepared for the new monsoon season. Make the tough decisions around local county Redistricting. Make the financial decisions for the county budget for FY 2023. There is a midterm election where our citizens have some decisions to make about their elected officials and different bonds to support programs for our county. As the Board of Supervisors, we have the duty to listen to our constituents and lead our county through these trying times. After severing as supervisor for a year, I am honored to now serve the county as Vice Chair. It is my responsibility to provide leadership to our county staff and the citizen of our county. I am committed to growing into my new role and advocating for all Coconino County.

Let’s celebrate together to raise funds and bring arts and education to our community!
Thursday, April 14th, 2022
6pm-8pm
5pm – 6pm VIP Reception & Pre-Sale
Sedona Arts Center Parking Lot & Art Barn
Silent Auction begins Monday, April 4th, 2022
Door Prizes include three $1000 Gift cards (one each) to Rowe Gallery, Goldenstein Gallery, and Exposures International Gallery (you must be present to win)
Tickets are $50 per person or
$75 per person for VIP Reception & Pre-Sale Prior to the Event
Purchase original artwork to benefit SAC
Mingle with friends and meet the artists
Enjoy wine and light hors d’oeuvres
Registration required

18th Annual Sedona Plein Air Festival
October 22 – 29, 2022
LAST CALL
– Application Deadline TOMORROW:
March 15, 2022
About the Festival:
Sedona Arts Center invites you along to be inspired and experience master artists painting in the Shangri-La of the Southwest! Sedona is a sublime and stunningly beautiful environment steeped in art history. Sedona Arts Center dates back 64 years to the founding of Sedona’s identity as an ‘art colony.’ Our community’s iconic and wonderfully creative event—Sedona Plein Air Festival—is a week-long celebration of extraordinary landscapes, world-renowned artists, unique workshops, and wonderful free events from October 22 through 29, 2022!

Housing costs in Flagstaff continue to increase, making housing affordability a greater challenge for households in our community. According to Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona’s annual Rental Attainability Report, the average cost of a 2-bedroom apartment in our community is now $1,758/mo. In order to afford the average 2-bedroom apartment without paying more than 30% of gross income on housing, a household must earn approximately $5,837 a month or $70,040 annually. That is a 13.7% increase from the average cost of a 2-bedroom apartment when HSNA did its survey in 2020-2021.
For low-income households, the challenge of affordable housing is more severe. A full-time, minimum-wage earner, making $15.50/hr. would need to work more than two full-time jobs (86.9 hours per week), to afford a two-bedroom apartment at the average rental rate.

General Operating Support Grants
Creative Flagstaff’s flagship grant program is now open for applications. This grant program supports nonprofits and fiscally sponsored groups who have missions dedicated to producing, presenting, teaching, or serving the arts, cultural equity, preservation, or awareness, and/or presenting science programming to the public. Last year, $305,000 was awarded to 31 Flagstaff nonprofits.
Applications are due Wednesday, April 6, 2022.
Funding for nonprofit organizations is available through the Art & Science Fund at Creative Flagstaff. The Art & Science Fund is made possible with funding from the City of Flagstaff BBB Revenues

Coconino Community College (CCC) improves the lives of our residents through workforce development and higher education, and the community wants the college to continue preparing our residents for the jobs of today and tomorrow. But if we don’t fix a dire funding situation before it’s too late, CCC won’t be able to provide the programs vital to the success of our region.

Presidential pedagogy
Education is a second career for three-time Lumberjack Robyn Yewell. But it didn’t stop her from jumping in when she made the move to teaching elementary school science. After a decade of teaching in Tucson schools, two master’s degrees from NAU (and working on a third!), in February she was announced as a winner of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, K-6, for 2020. She is one of only two

Janet Leung, who retired from W.L. Gore & Associates in 2013, said one of the defining characteristics of her former workplace is its strong spirit of community.
“Everyone has a sense of ownership, of looking out for each other and the company as well,” she said recently.
That attitude extends to its commitment to the community. W.L. Gore not only encourages its employees to support local nonprofits, it matches their donations dollar-for-dollar, even after its associates have retired from the company.

March is Women’s History Month
March is Women’s History Month and a time for us to honor and celebrate the many women who have helped to shape our nation and the National Park Service. The national theme for Women’s History Month in 2022 explores the role of women of all cultures in providing both healing and hope throughout history.
In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, we would like to highlight the great feat of accomplishing goals and dreams, specifically one woman’s journey of doing it by herself.

A project to repave roads and parking areas within Mather Campground at Grand Canyon National Park will restart in early June and will continue through October 2022. Periodic closures will occur within Mather Campground throughout the summer and a fixed number of sites will be available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
The repaving will take place one loop at a time and campers booking reservations through www.recreation.gov will notice the following loop closures in effect beginning June 1, 2022 (closures subject to change):

County residents encouraged to attended Virtual Public Input Sessions March 12, 17, 23, 29
COCONINO COUNTY — Every ten years, state law requires county boards of supervisors to reapportion districts based on population according to the U.S. Census. The districts must be reapportioned so each district is substantially equal in population.
On Wednesday, March 2, 2022, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors will meet in a Special Session to consider six draft maps for redistricting Coconino County’s supervisory districts. Following consideration and discussion of the draft maps on March 2, a public input period will begin.

Grand Canyon National Park fire managers—working with resources from Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and the National Park Service Utah Parks Group anticipate initiating prescribed fire treatments as early as Tuesday downriver from Lees Ferry, Az. within Grand Canyon National Park.
On Tuesday, March 8, ignitions may occur on the Paria Beach Riparian Restoration project. The project is not expected to last for more than one day and targets 5 acres of riparian vegetation and tamarisk along the banks of the Colorado River, approximately 1.25 miles downriver from the Lees Ferry boat ramp.

What started out as a desire to build a home she could call her own has turned into a career path.
Now that Coconino Community College student Andrea Clayton has received the All-Arizona Academic Scholarship, she will continue her journey toward a bachelor’s degree in Construction Technology Management and, maybe, owning her own business.
“There’s a certain satisfaction in building with my own hands,” Clayton said, adding that she hopes to gain some experience managing projects for a local contractor before trying to strike out owning her own business.

Outdoor mask zones now lifted throughout the park; masks still required in government buildings and transportation
More updates will be provided soon following DOI and NPS all employee emails this afternoon (Thursday, March 3)
This week, Superintendent Keable has made the decision to remove the outdoor mask zones in the park. This week, the outdoor sandwich board signs have been removed from Grand Canyon Visitor Center Plaza to Mather Point and Hopi Point. The remaining signs in historic district, Desert View Watchtower area, all shuttle bus stops, and entrance stations will be pulled beginning today, March 3. We will be modifying the Superintendent’s Compendium in the coming days to reflect these changes.

Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Cheryl Mango-Paget has announced the scheduling of interviews for two Governing School Board Member open seats at Maine Consolidated School District #10.
An advisory committee will be assembled consisting of a district resident, district teacher, chapter official, and two current board members to conduct interviews and advise Superintendent Mango-Paget on the appointments.

Sedona Arts Center’s 41st Annual Juried Members’ Show, our community’s largest and longest-running group exhibition of visual art is now showing through March 31 in our Special Exhibitions Gallery in Uptown Sedona. And it’s free to the public!
Visitors will find everything from painting and watercolor to metal, wood, jewelry, and fiber art. A focus is also placed on drawing, mixed-media, photography and digital art. The Members’ Show is steeped in tradition and remains open to all current Arts Center members, whether seasoned professionals or new and emerging artists.
The show will be open 10AM – 5PM Monday through Saturday, and noon – 5PM on Sunday in our newly renovated Special Exhibit Gallery and Theater.

In congressional testimony, President Cruz Rivera shares critical need for increased access to students from historically underserved communities
In addition to laying out the attainment gaps throughout the U.S.—only 40 out of every 100 white kindergartners are expected to get a bachelor’s degree and that number drops by half for Black children and one-third for Latino and Native American children—Cruz Rivera, himself a product of Hispanic Serving Institutions, offered policy recommendations to increase economic mobility and equitable postsecondary educational value. These include doubling the maximum amount of Pell grants; investing equitably by increasing per-student investments among all Minority Serving Institutions; improving data transparency and investing in P-12 education.

On Friday, February 25, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced new metrics to guide COVID-19 mitigation practices, including mask requirements.
CCHHS has consistently followed CDC guidance throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue to follow current recommendations. COVID-19 Community Levels will now be determined based on three pieces of data: new COVID-19 hospitalizations, hospital capacity, and new COVID-19 cases. Categories for COVID-19 Community Levels have changed to three levels: Low (Green), Medium (Yellow), and High (Orange).

During the March 1 Flagstaff City Council meeting, the Council decided to update mask requirements in City facilities to match updated guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), effective Monday, March 7. As the CDC currently lists Coconino County’s community level as “medium”, masks will not be required to be worn indoors at City facilities, upon the effective date.

Our first Vision & Sound: An African American Experience, is in the books, as they say, and was a success! During our closing event last Friday night I was asked about the “power” of this year’s partnership and collaboration – with the artists as well as with the other partners. There were so many memorable moments that it was difficult to be concise but I summed up this year’s program this way: never before has there been an all-African American event at Sedona Arts Center – Vision & Sound 2022 was an historic event for us. Also, to the best of anyone’s knowledge, we have never collaborated with other cities before – so partnering with the City of Goodyear and the City of Glendale was new for us. In addition, working with the ASU Center for the Study of Race and Democracy was groundbreaking and unlike anything we’ve done in our history.

79% of drivers are willing to shift to another means of travel according to a recent online survey participated in by 640 Flagstaff area residents. However, those means like biking and transit need to be much safer and more convenient than they are today. “Understanding people’s choices helps us design systems and facilities that meet their individual transportation needs and larger community goals like climate and the economy,” said MetroPlan Planning Manager, David Wessel. MetroPlan, the region’s transportation planning organization, is developing Stride Forward a 20-25 year transportation plan.

Effective July 1, 2022, Grand Canyon National Park will increase the cost of overnight backcountry permits. Grand Canyon began charging for overnight backcountry permits in 1997 and last modified backcountry fees in 2015.
The cost recovery charge for overnight backcountry permits will increase for all permits that begin on or after July 1, 2022. The charge of $10 per backcountry permit remains the same; the nightly per person fee will be increased from $8 per person to $12 per person or stock animal camping below the rim in designated backcountry camping areas. This increase does not affect camping fees at Mather, Desert View, or the North Rim campgrounds.

Antonio García was quietly fishing in Tijuana, Mexico, near the part of the wall in the United States-Mexico border that extends into the Pacific Ocean. He was deported to Mexico years ago after having lived in the United States for decades without permission, leaving behind children, spouse, siblings, and grandchildren. Today he made his way to the fence to see his wife and two children who are meeting him on the San Diego side of the rust-colored steel boundary marker.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced new metrics to guide COVID-19 mitigation practices.
The new metrics will continue to consider caseloads to determine community risk level and will also incorporate the impacts on the healthcare system as indicators to determine appropriate prevention measures for each county. According to the CDC, counties in Low and Medium can consider going without masks in public indoor settings. In High, the CDC recommends masks in all public indoor settings, including schools.

We enter 2022 with much hope for the future–and a refreshed look for this newsletter. Do you like it?
Since the Government of Mexico has dedicated this year to Ricardo Flores Magón, a trained journalist who is considered one of the most influential thinkers of the Mexican Revolution, we have included his image on our nameplate for this year. The main sections will remain the same and will continue to bring you relevant information in three sections:
#Choose Mexico,
#Arizona Thrives and
#Discover Mexico.

The boreal forest is a belt of cold-tolerant conifer trees that stretches nearly 9,000 miles across northern North America and Eurasia; it makes up almost a quarter of the Earth’s forest area. It’s also the coldest—and most rapidly warming—forest biome on the planet, and its shifting characteristics amid climate change are raising concerns about increased fire activity, decreased biodiversity and other long-term adverse effects for human and natural ecosystems.

This week, the AMPO team discussed the process the park will follow to reopen NPS buildings that are currently closed, or partially closed, due to the pandemic and the status of the park outdoor mask zone areas.
The team talked about the lifting of mask mandates at several bordering states including California, New Mexico, and Nevada. With those restrictions being lifted, park managers are considering how to make mask restriction changes in the outdoor areas of the park that are currently identified as mask zones. These masking requirements were put in place through the Superintendent’s Compendium. Most of you have seen the sandwich board signs along the rim trail near the El Tovar, at Desert View and Mather Point alerting visitors to the requirement to wear a mask in these areas.
When changes are made, we will let staff know through our weekly calls and this newsletter, Changes will officially be implemented through the Superintendent’s Compendium. These steps will also include updated information for our visitors.

This week, Heidi Hansen, currently the City of Flagstaff Economic Vitality Director, was announced as Interim Deputy City Manager. Hansen is temporarily filling the position vacated by Shane Dille, who accepted the position of Town Manager of Sahuarita, Ariz. in January of this year. Heidi, with the assistance of Trace Ward (the Convention and Visitors Bureau Director) will continue to also serve over the Economic Vitality Division during the interim assignment.
In the near future, the City will launch a nation-wide competitive recruitment process to permanently fill the Deputy City Manager position.